Multifractal characteristics of multiparticle production in heavy-ion collisions at SPS energies

Abstract

Entropy, dimensions and other multifractal characteristics of multiplicity distributions of relativistic charged hadrons produced in ion–ion collisions at SPS energies are investigated. The analysis of the experimental data is carried out in terms of phase space bin-size dependence of multiplicity distributions following the Takagi’s approach. Yet another method is also followed to study the multifractality which, is not related to the bin-width and (or) the detector resolution, rather involves multiplicity distribution of charged particles in full phase space in terms of information entropy and its generalization, Rényi’s order-[Formula: see text] information entropy. The findings reveal the presence of multifractal structure — a remarkable property of the fluctuations. Nearly constant values of multifractal specific heat “[Formula: see text]” estimated by the two different methods of analysis followed indicate that the parameter “[Formula: see text]” may be used as a universal characteristic of the particle production in high energy collisions. The results obtained from the analysis of the experimental data agree well with the predictions of Monte Carlo model AMPT.